Was just wondering, what was your first (real fish, bluegill don't count) fish on a fly rod? Also if you can remember what was your set up?

Mine was an 8 inch brook trout that hit on a red quill (not sure the size) on a God knows what brand reel I bought from the flea market years ago and a Crystal River Finalist that I bought from North Woods. I remember I was so excited that I  was pulling on the line so fast I almost ripped the fly out of the fish's mouth, and when I got it on shore I nearly peed my pants I was so excited.

 

6-8 lb. steelhead on a 5wt Saint Croix rod.  I'm sure I used a wooly bugger or ESL to catch it.   Caught many this way, until I switched to centre pin tackle.

First i wil lsay bluegill definitely count!!

 

My first fly rod fish was a 4" brookie caught in teh george washington national forest in VA.  Caught him on a size 16 royal wulff

 

And it was on a 9'4wt sage DS2 rod and ross colorado reel that i still own and use regularly and has probably caught well over 5,000 fish on that set up with only changes to the line.

Mine was a 10 inch smallie in a small creek on tiny poper....but actually mine was a bluegill

LOL. Don't think I ever caught a fish on a flyrod, which is why I don't fly fish today. I was taught fly fishing on the Oatka in LeRoy/Caledonia NY where you couldn't use live baits. Never took to it.

 

That said, I am very interested in Tenkara. Been following this for a few years (from a distance) as it's made entrance into the US from Japan.

http://www.tenkarausa.com/

LOL. Don't think I ever caught a fish on a flyrod, which is why I don't fly fish today. I was taught fly fishing on the Oatka in LeRoy/Caledonia NY where you couldn't use live baits. Never took to it.

 

That said, I am very interested in Tenkara. Been following this for a few years (from a distance) as it's made entrance into the US from Japan.

http://www.tenkarausa.com/

Tenkara looks cool to me too, but every time I bring it up to my fly fishing friends they give me a weird look 

First i wil lsay bluegill definitely count!!

 

My first fly rod fish was a 4" brookie caught in teh george washington national forest in VA.  Caught him on a size 16 royal wulff

 

And it was on a 9'4wt sage DS2 rod and ross colorado reel that i still own and use regularly and has probably caught well over 5,000 fish on that set up with only changes to the line.

I would say bluegill count, but I don't think a fish that can be caught with a bare hook should count.

LOL. Don't think I ever caught a fish on a flyrod, which is why I don't fly fish today. I was taught fly fishing on the Oatka in LeRoy/Caledonia NY where you couldn't use live baits. Never took to it.

 

That said, I am very interested in Tenkara. Been following this for a few years (from a distance) as it's made entrance into the US from Japan.

http://www.tenkarausa.com/'>http://www.tenkarausa.com/

Tenkara is cool stuff....I have a buddy who fishes that way and it is an interesting concept.

I guess if bass count it would be a small largemouth on a bluegill fly. First trout was a little rainbow fast stripping a streamer on Taneycomo. Found some trout chasing minnows and they were crushing a little white streamer. 

I would say bluegill count, but I don't think a fish that can be caught with a bare hook should count.

Guess you haven't ever caught some slab bluegill on a 2 or 3wt.....other than a largemouth busting through lily pads to crush your frog this ranks a close second.

Guess you haven't ever caught some slab bluegill on a 2 or 3wt.....other than a largemouth busting through lily pads to crush your frog this ranks a close second.

If you ever find catfish eating mayflies falling out of bushes or carp eating mulberries dropping out of trees that is a serious rush on a flyrod. 

I have had three times where carp were feeding on top and it was crazy fun, especially on my 4wt

On my third paractice cast on water after only casting on the local schools lawn, I caught a 36" Snook. Oh Lord it was like hand to hand combat after only fishing conventionally. It was a cruel joke though because I went well over a year afterwards without catching a fish on a fly.

First fly caught fish was a sharp tooth catfish while going after smallies in a local stream. The rod was a 9 foot 9 weight red Daiwa fiberglass noodle that used to do duty as bobber rod fitted with a Mitchell 301 coffee grinder reel and used for panfishing before I (full of book knowledge about the noble art of the fly) rescued it and gave it dignified exit chasing bass, yellow fish and tigers. It was so slow on the back cast I could have smoke and a sip of a cold beverage before splashing down "the mother of all s casts" the rod was sadly lost to angling posterity and fame by not being tied down on deck when hitting a wake board boat wake running a bit late for weigh in.

A few seasons ago, while fishing for the Brown Bass, I stumbled upon a decent mayfly hatch, though I was not prepared for it.

 

Each summer, I ready for it now - and have been pretty lucky - a fly caster - I am not.

 

But these fish are as close to "suicidal" as they get all year.

 

I tend to enjoy it when it's like that.

 

A-Jay

 

 

 

It was probably a smallmouth on the Kankakee river using a brown or olive wolly bugger.

Any swimming fish is a "real" fish, unless it is made of plastic. with your requirements, my first "real" fly rod fish would be a beautiful 13" brown trout from the Madison river.

Still searching for my first, but then again I would need to actually put down the other rods and force myself to use it. My poor 7wt Orvis Hydros is just sitting in the corner and collecting dust right now.....

Maybe this year will be the one!

I'm sure it was a bluegill.

Instead of saying bluegill aren't a "real fish" I should have said first fish that wasn't a bluegill. But If your first fish on a fly rod just so happened to be a big ol slab bluegill, I guess I'll accept it.

I never caught anything but bluegills, bass, crappie, catfish (once) until about 15 years ago when I caught my first trout on a fly. It's still the biggest one that I've ever caught.

All this talk about bluegill...fly or not, they're fun to catch and put up quite a fight for their size.

All this talk about bluegill...fly or not, they're fun to catch and put up quite a fight for their size.

I read once in a book, "If bluegill grew to the size of their bass cousins; you would need salt water tackle to fight the beast, and nobody would ever set foot in fresh water again." I think it was Fishing Michigan by Eric Sharp